Welcome to Astronotes
Hello, IтАЩm Colin, welcoming you to Astronotes, the PlanetariumтАЩs official blog. Here you will find the latest news and views from the fascinating worlds of astronomy and space exploration. We hope you will come here to learn what is hot and exciting, profound or even weird from worlds beyond ours . So that's the introduction out of the way, now on with the Universe!
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Other Galaxies Archive
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![An image from the European Southern Observatory, reveals two galaxies, NGC 3169 and NGC 3166, meeting in intergalactic space. What kind of cosmic drama ensues in these close encounters of […]](http://www.armaghplanet.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Image-of-interacting-galaxies-115x115.jpg "Image of the Month: War of the Galaxies!")
Image of the Month: War of the Galaxies!
Posted on April 21, 2011 | No CommentsAn image from the European Southern Observatory, reveals two galaxies, NGC 3169 and NGC 3166, meeting in intergalactic space. What kind of cosmic drama ensues in these close encounters of […] -
![NGC 2841 is a rather beautiful flocculent spiral galaxy. The Hubble Space Telescope recently imaged NGC 2841 as part of an investigation into how new stars are created. How do […]](http://www.armaghplanet.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/image-of-NGC2841-115x115.jpg "Image of the Month: Baby stars of NGC 2841")
Image of the Month: Baby stars of NGC 2841
Posted on February 18, 2011 | 1 CommentNGC 2841 is a rather beautiful flocculent spiral galaxy. The Hubble Space Telescope recently imaged NGC 2841 as part of an investigation into how new stars are created. How do […] -
![Our Image of the Month is a radically different view of the great spiral galaxy in Andromeda from the European Space Agency. Tracy McConnell explains how it was made and […]](http://www.armaghplanet.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/Image-of-andromeda-in-IR-and-xrays-115x115.jpg "Image of the Month: Andromeda through different eyes")
Image of the Month: Andromeda through different eyes
Posted on January 20, 2011 | No CommentsOur Image of the Month is a radically different view of the great spiral galaxy in Andromeda from the European Space Agency. Tracy McConnell explains how it was made and […] -
![The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope continues to produce stunning images. Let’s examine a particularly pretty recent treat, revealing the aftermath of a cosmic disaster. Like so many beautiful astronomical sights, […]](http://www.armaghplanet.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/Image-of-supernova-remnant-115x115.jpg "The Hubble bubble?")
The Hubble bubble?
Posted on January 3, 2011 | 1 CommentThe NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope continues to produce stunning images. Let’s examine a particularly pretty recent treat, revealing the aftermath of a cosmic disaster. Like so many beautiful astronomical sights, […] -
![The European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope brings us new face-on portraits of six spiral galaxies. But what is the science behind these delightful images? Everyone loves stunning pictures […]](http://www.armaghplanet.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/Image-of-six-spiral-galaxies-115x115.jpg "Spiral galaxies in a glorious new gallery from the Very Large Telescope")
Spiral galaxies in a glorious new gallery from the Very Large Telescope
Posted on October 28, 2010 | 3 CommentsThe European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope brings us new face-on portraits of six spiral galaxies. But what is the science behind these delightful images? Everyone loves stunning pictures […] -
![Galaxies, distant from us in space and time, have been in the news recently. Astronomers knew that far away galaxies (and hence ancient galaxies)were smaller than those galaxies closer (in […]](http://www.armaghplanet.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/image-of-early-galaxy-115x115.jpg "Another galaxy, far, far away seen by HST and ESO")
Another galaxy, far, far away seen by HST and ESO
Posted on October 21, 2010 | No CommentsGalaxies, distant from us in space and time, have been in the news recently. Astronomers knew that far away galaxies (and hence ancient galaxies)were smaller than those galaxies closer (in […] -
![David Grennan, an amateur from Dublin, has thrilled astronomers with his discoveries€а of supernovae in€а distant galaxies. Here is the inside story of his admirable achievements. Astronomy is one of […]](http://www.armaghplanet.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Image-of-supernova-115x115.jpg "Supernovae spotted by Irish astronomer")
Supernovae spotted by Irish astronomer
Posted on October 6, 2010 | 1 CommentDavid Grennan, an amateur from Dublin, has thrilled astronomers with his discoveries€а of supernovae in€а distant galaxies. Here is the inside story of his admirable achievements. Astronomy is one of […] -
![We all love bright and showy spiral galaxies! So much so, that we tend to overlook the elliptical galaxies which make up about 30% of the galaxies out there. Smaller […]](http://www.armaghplanet.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/image-of-NGC4696-115x115.jpg "Elliptical galaxies: everything you need to know")
Elliptical galaxies: everything you need to know
Posted on October 1, 2010 | No CommentsWe all love bright and showy spiral galaxies! So much so, that we tend to overlook the elliptical galaxies which make up about 30% of the galaxies out there. Smaller […] -
![This fluffy pink blob is the star-forming region LHA-120-N 11 in the Large Magellanic Cloud some 170 000 light years from the Sun. N 11 (occasionally called the Bean Nebula) […]](http://www.armaghplanet.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/image-of-the-bean-nebula1-115x115.jpg "Why is this nebula so shocking pink?")
Why is this nebula so shocking pink?
Posted on October 1, 2010 | 1 CommentThis fluffy pink blob is the star-forming region LHA-120-N 11 in the Large Magellanic Cloud some 170 000 light years from the Sun. N 11 (occasionally called the Bean Nebula) […] -
Hubble sees a messy Messier
Posted on September 24, 2010 | No CommentsAbout 100 000 light years across, Messier 66 is the largest galaxy in the "Leo Triplet", three interacting spiral galaxies about 33 million light years from us. This new Hubble Space Telescope image shows that M66 seems to have been through the mangle. Misshapen with an off-centre core, the galaxy is not a neat spiral. It has been tugged by the gravitational pulls of its neighbours', NGC 3628 and M65, and indeed may have suffered a close encounter with NGC 3628 a billion years or so ago which ripped away hundreds of thousands of stars. Located just under the line between Regulus and Denebola, M66 and M65 can be seen with a small telescope or 10x50 binoculars in the spring. Why not go out to see if you can find these distant islands of stars? (What is a Messier object? You can find out in this issue of Astronotes)